Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Western Cape provincial winners go through to the national finals again

Desmond Mpilo Tutu Secondary School are the Western Cape under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial soccer champions after beating Excelsior 1-0 in the final at the Nyanga Stadium on the weekend. 

This means they will be going to the national finals of the competition for the second successive year and they get a chance to redeem themselves after they made an early exit at the nationals last year.

The school were the Western Cape provincial runners up, which qualified them for the nationals, but according to the team manager, Xolisa Nzima their lack of experience cost them at that level and they finally finished in 16^th position.

“We were taken by surprise at the nationals last year,” he said.  “The boys did not anticipate how competitive the game was at that level and how fast-paced other schools played soccer.  We saw how much we need to improve if we want to win this tournament, and this year we decided to take what we learnt from last year and come back and redeem ourselves, which is what we have done.”

This year’s team is a combination of old and new players, and Nzima said the older hands have been guiding the young ones.

“They know the ins and outs of this tournament, and are sharing this with the new players. The team has been working very well together and communicating well, on and off the field. They are also more dedicated and focused.  We have a crop of boys that are very talented and they know what they want out of this tournament and they are working towards achieving the goal.”

One thing is for sure, believes Nzima, is that the team will definitely be better prepared.  “We are training at the local gym to build fitness levels, and I have brought in a young assistant coach, Sizwe Jack, who plays for a local team and has been a great help in bringing the team together.”

“Since he took over, we have been qualifying and reaching levels we have never reached before,” Nzima said. “The team is able to relate to him because he’s the same age as them, and the players trust him. He has built a close bond with the team, they respect one another and they get along very well.”

The Western Cape provincials went well, Nzima feels. “Of all the games, I thought that the final game against Excelsior High School was by far the toughest. We managed to beat them, but I think that Excelsior was a much tougher opponent than the rest of the teams.”

As provincial champions, the school has won R100 000 to use to fund projects that will benefit the school and surrounding community. Nzima said they still have to meet to discuss how they will be using it, as there is a lot that needs to be done at the school. He hopes some of the money can be used for sports equipment.

Western Cape Provincial finals results.

Thembalethu 0 vs Beaufort West 2

Ilingelethu 0 vs Qhayiyia 0

Desmond Tutu 1 vs Beaufort West 1

Excelsior 5 vs Qhayiya 0

Desmond Tutu 4 vs Ilingelethu 0

Excelsior 1 vs Beaufort West 0

Beaufort West 2 vs Ilingelethu 0

Final - Excelsior 0 vs Desmond Tutu 1

First timers win the Northern Cape Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial

The under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Northern Cape Provincial Finals took place last weekend and it was Groblershoop High School who emerged victorious after beating Weslaan High School 2 – 1 in the final match. Both teams will be representing their province at the Nationals in Soweto from 7^th – 10^th October.

This is the first time that Groblershoop will be going to the nationals in the 10 years that they have been playing in the competition and the team’s manager, Leon Cloete, puts it down to the school’s changing into a soccer school from a rugby-playing one.

“Rugby was the main sport played,” he said, “but more and more boys are choosing soccer now so we have changed the focus. We still play rugby, which is not a bad thing because our players are very fit, and our backs are all big strong boys who also play rugby,”

The team has worked very hard for this achievement, Cloete said. “We have challenges when it comes to scheduling training as some players live very far from the school and transport is a problem. Sometimes I have to drop the players off at home after training. But we are all dedicated to the cause and did everything we could to ensure that this year we would qualify for the nationals.”

The win was made even more special when a representative from the Department of Basic Education as well as the sports coordinator from their district came to the school to congratulate the boys and wish them well for the national finals.

As provincial winners, Groblershoop has been granted R100 000 by the sponsors, the Motsepe Foundation and Sanlam, to spend on legacy projects at the school and, although the School Governing Body will have to sit down to discuss how it is going to be used, Cloete would like to buy portable soccer goals for the rugby field that they train on.

Hard work and being focused is what Cloete believes let the team to success. “The team was focused from the beginning.  We were in the same group as Okiep, who are experienced in this competition.  We played them twice, drawing the first game and managing to beat them 2-0 in the second game, which gave the team confidence.”

Then it was Weslaan in the final and, thanks to goals from strikers Ruwey Bosmon and Brandon Scheepers, they managed to win 2-1. “It was a team effort though, every player worked very hard,” Cloete said. “Both teams deserved to be in the final. I am happy that we will be taking two strong teams to the nationals and hopefully one of us at least makes it into the semi finals.”

Now it’s down to hard training. “The nationals will be a new experience for us so my focus will be on keeping the boys fit as we will be playing up to three games a day, building confidence and fine tuning skills.”

Results

Remmogo 1 vs Weslaan 1

Groblershoop 1 vs Okiep 1

Weslaan 3 vs Tetlanyo 1

Okiep 0 vs Groblershoop 2

Tetlanyo 2 vs Remmogo 2

Final - Groblershoop 2 vs Weslaan 1

HTS Louis Botha emerge as champions of the Free State Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Finals

Bloemfontein’s HTS Louis Botha beat Dr Reginald Cingo Secondary School from Kroonstad on penalties to emerge as the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Free State provincial champions.  They take home R100 000 prize money and automatically qualify for the national finals where they get the chance to increase their winnings.  In terms of the rules of the competition Dr Reginald Cingo also qualify for the provincial finals.

HTS Louis Botha last won the title, and went on to finish second in the national finals of the tournament in 2013, and their coach, Prince Sani, said they were always confident they would make it to the nationals again this year.

“The team has worked hard since the beginning of the year and we came into the provincials with a positive and clear attitude and confident players,” he said.

And, playing on their home ground also helped. “We were playing on a field that we are familiar with, and had the support of our students, parents and members of the 2013 team who came to watch,” Sani said.

The finals did not go completely smoothly – they had to play their last two games with 10 men after a player received a red card – but the coach said they fought all the way till the end.

“This year the competition was extremely tough, I must congratulate all the schools that made it to the provincials. I believe the best 6 schools were showcased on Saturday.”

Louis Botha were drawn in the same pool as close rivals Grey College, whom they played twice before the finals, and beat them both times.  During the provincial finals the game ended with neither team managing to score which shows that Grey came prepared, Sani said. “They have improved from the last time we met them, all the schools came well prepared.”

Louis Botha met Dr Reginald Cingo in the final match and Sani said they were their toughest competition on the day. The game ended in a 1-all draw but his side managed to win on penalties.

“Every year the level of schools soccer in the Free State improves. It was definitely better this year than in 2013 when we last won the provincials.”

Louis Botha was in a tough group, along with Grey College and Concordia High School –the team that eliminated the defending champions, Harmony, this year.

“I was wary of Concordia, they had beaten Harmony, one of the strongest teams in Free State, and I didn’t know anything about them,” Sani said.

“I did speak to their coach, and did some research, and the first league game was Grey v Concordia so I could watch them and study their style of play. They were a challenge, but we managed to beat them 1-0.”

As far as the nationals are concerned, this team has been at the national level before in other tournaments, Sani points out, so they have experience in that regard.

“But the Kay Motsepe is different. This is the most prestigious tournament and we need to apply a different approach. The team has been watching the recording of the 2013 final game against Clapham. It motivates them to put in 110% in each and every game,” Sani said.

“I have told them that it is their time rise to the occasion, this year we are not looking to be runners- up. The 1st prize which is what every school will be aiming for. I know that Gauteng and Western Cape always brings the best schools. That’s where the challenge will come from!” he said.

Results

Grey College 2 vs. Concordia 2

Grey College 0 vs. HTS Louis Botha 0

Concordia 0 vs. HTS Louis Botha 1

Dr Cingo 4 vs. Ikanyegeng 0

Dr Cingo 1 vs. Manthatisi 0

Ikanyegeng 0 vs. Manthatisi 1

Final

HTS Louis Botha 1 (6) vs. Dr Cingo 1 (5)

Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals kick off

Gauteng will be hosting the second Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Final at the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto on Monday August 10.  Eight teams will be vying for the R100 000 as the provincial champions and the two teams that make it to the final match will go through to the national finals where they will compete for the R1 million first prize.

Representing the Johannesburg North region at the finals will be Thaba Jabula Secondary School of Soweto who are in the provincial playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.

Cassius Mpati, their coach, said that the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, is a tournament they religiously participate in.

“The level of football in this competition is extremely high and we learn something new every year and this year is no different.  I think we have a much better chance of winning the provincials as we have home ground advantage. The Nike Centre is also our training ground.  The nationals will also be played at the same venue in October and we are gunning for the R1 million,” he said.

Mpati points out that the 2013 provincials were played in Mamelodi and Clapham won; and, in 2014 they we played in Soshanguve and Holy Trinity won. That is a good sign because this year the finals are in their home town of Soweto.

But Mpati realises that it will not be easy.  “We have grown and learnt a lot over the past three years, but there is not a single level that is easy to accomplish. You need to focus on what the objective is.  Preserving energy is key to the success of the tournament as each team plays a minimum of three games in a day and in the national finals this is for three consecutive days. Last year we went to the nationals and didn’t do as well as I thought we would but it was the team’s first time there and nerves and anxiety got the better of them.”

This year’s team is made up primarily with players from the under-17 team, Mpati said. “We have lost a number of players due to them being over age and some having finished school. We have not scored as many goals this year as I had hoped, but we are working on this.”

However his team will be boosted by two players that form part of the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Academy, including Given Thibedi and Happy Mashiane. “They are new to this tournament but have adjusted very well, and have been able to use the experience that they receive at Kaizer Chiefs.’

Mpati said that the school has galvanised the parents support.  “We need a crowd on our side so I have roped in the support of parents.  This is good motivation for the players to do well. It’s going to be a public holiday, so I am predicting the community members to show up and support Thaba Jabula.”

The school has also arranged for Papi Khomane a former Thaba Jabula student who played for the SA national team and for Orlando Pirates to come to the school and motivate the team. “The team needs such talks with former soccer players who can give them words of encouragement and advise as to how each player can prepare for a match,” Mpati said.

The teams participating in the Gauteng finals are:

·        SAFA Transnet Football School-Ekurhuleni North District

·        Clapham High School-Tshwane North District

·        Soshanguve East Sec School-Tshwane West District

·        Madiba Secondary School-Gauteng West District

·        M.O.M Sebone High School-Gauteng East

·        Alexandra High School-JHB East

·        Thaba Jabula -JHB North District

·        Mohloli Secondary School -Sedibeng East District

Sundowns Academy win through to the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

Clapham High School, comprising the Sundowns Academy players, beat their fierce Pretoria local rivals, Rosina Sedibane Sports School, in an inter regional final match to reach the provincial finals of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup happening at the Nike Centre, Soweto on Monday, 10 August.

It was a tough encounter explains the team manager, Johannes Petje. “Rosina and Clapham have been rivals from way back.  We have played against each many times and every game is a challenge because we know each other’s weakness and strengths so we continuously have to change our game plan and approach.”

It’s great being back in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, Petje said. “We are slowly but surely reclaiming our position in the tournament. Schools football is an ever-changing sport, one year you are champs and the next year you’re not. All schools lose players every year who move on, and sometime you lose your best players.

Last year Clapham were knocked out at the provincial level.  “A lot of factors attributed to that loss, one being that we didn’t have the majority of our players due to national call-ups. This year we have a plan B should call-ups be made,” said Petje.  “We have a few good players in our under-17 squad who we are training and preparing should we need them to fill in for the 1^st team.”

Petje believes their absence last year might give them an edge because the other teams may underestimate them. “I advise them not to do this. We have learnt from our previous mistake and the boys are hungry to prove themselves,” he said.

The team obviously wants to do better than last year. “At the beginning of the year our main focus was to qualify for the inter districts.  Now that this has been achieved we are shifting our focus and energy onto the provincials. It’s a level we are not taking lightly, considering the fact that we were knocked out at this level last year.”

The team is working hard, and not taking anyone lightly. “All the schools are considered competition regardless of whether they are academy-affiliated or not. There is a lot at stake in this tournament and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

“Beating Rosina is a big hurdle overcome,” said Petje.  “Our biggest advantage is the fact that our team is more exposed to high levels of soccer as they get to compete in more competitive tournaments than some of the other schools.

“We have a group of focused boys and with the coaching of Mike Manzini we are sure that we will be at the nationals this year. Our task right now is getting these boys used to playing on an artificial pitch. We have arranged a few games for them to get used to that type of field. We feel we are 95% ready for the provincials.”

Witsieshoek School wins Free State's Thabo Mofutsanyane Kay Motsepe Schools Cup district finals

Manthatisi High School from Theseng Village, Witsieshoek are the Thabo Mofutsanyane District winners in the Free State division of the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation and Sanlam, and they will be going to the provincial finals later this year.

This is the 1^st time that the school has advanced to this stage of the competition, despite entering each year since 2010, and John Hlohlongwane, the team’s manager, puts it down to really hard work this time.

“Since 2010 the school has been knocked out in the early stages of the tournament every year,” he said. “With working hard we have managed to finally reach the provincial finals. I really commend the team for putting in 110% in training and in their matches. They have really worked hard and from the beginning of the year and I could tell that the team were determined to win.”

There is a good attitude in the players, Hlohlongwane said, and should they continue like this they should do well in the provincials.

“It’s been a tough road to make it to the finals. We have played 17 games already from cluster level, through to the regional play offs, and the players have risen to the occasion. I would have to say that the team’s determination and hard work definitely helped them win all those games,” he said.

The team suffered a major setback when their coach for the past 7 years, Thabo “Troussier”  Maboea, sadly passed away recently. “He is the one responsible for the team’s success,” Hlohlongwane said. “He worked tirelessly in training and grooming the boys. We don’t have a coach at moment and are in the process of getting one of the local coaches to help us. Once that happens we will begin our preparations for the provincial finals.”

The team has won through to the provincial finals for the first time and the coach knows that the boys will be a bit nervous. “However, we know that Harmony High School, the team that has been dominating in this tournament, has been knocked out and with them gone it’s looking very possible that we might actually win the provincials,” Hlohlongwane said.

“We have beaten the stronger schools in our district including Ntsu high School, who competed in the nationals in 2010 as well as Tlokola Secondary School who went to the nationals last year. HTS Louis Botha is also a strong school, although last year they didn’t even make it through the provincials.”

Results

Manthatisi 1 vs Evungweni 1

Leifo-Iziko 0 vs Tlokola 0

Evungwini 0 (1) vs Manthatisi 0 (3)

Leifo-Iziko 0 vs Ntsu 2

Tlokola 2 vs Ntsu 0

Final

Manthatisi 1 (7) vs Tlokola 1 (6) 

Thaba Jabula from Pimville, Soweto is preparing for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Preparations have begun for Thaba Jabula Secondary School from Soweto, Gauteng, after registrations closed this week for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation.  

The school represented the Gauteng province at last year’s national finals, and the team’s manager/coach, Cassius Mpati, says they have been hard at work, preparing for this year’s competition.

The school competes in the Pimville Cluster in the JHB North Region and the first games will be played at the Nike Centre on 24^th April.  So far they have played 2 friendly games, and are planning on playing a few more before the tournament starts.

“We still have time to prepare the team, and the teams that we will be playing against in the cluster don’t scare us,” he said. “We are used to playing against them and have beaten them before and I have no doubt in my mind that this year will be the same.”

The school has lost 5 members of last year’s team, who have either finished school, or are now too old.

So a number of under-17s have come up into the under-19 team. “We have also taken in 3 new players, Happy Mashiane, Thato Tshabalala and Given Thibedi who are from the Kaizer Chiefs Academy,” Mpati said. “They are from Tembisa and Kaizer Chiefs has moved them to Soweto so that they could be close to where they train with the club.”

Thaba Jabula School is close to the Nike Centre where the Chiefs Youth Academy practices.

Mpati started his career as a player, which has helped him in his coaching career.  “I have been where my players are so I can talk from experience. It’s not something that you can learn from a book,” he said.

A successful coach needs to relate to his players, believe Mpati.  “A coach needs to be able to understand his/her players at all times. Being able to take yourself down to the players’ level is a good thing because it shows that you care for them and their needs,” he said.

Mpati teaches English and Life Sciences at the school, so finding the time to coach is a challenge. “Sometimes I am swamped with academic stuff and I cannot make training, so I have had to ask for assistance from an external local coach, Zakes Khumalo.

“Zakes helped us from the provincial level upwards last year and this year we decided to bring him on board at the beginning of the tournament so that he can start prepping the team the way he wants to.” Said Mpati.

Every year the school holds awards for teachers and students, and for two years in a row Mpati won the best teacher of the year award, and also the Sportsman and Team Manager of the year awards.

“It feels great to know that one’s efforts don’t go unnoticed.  Winning these awards also makes me want to do more for my students and my team.”

The team did not do as well as they wanted to at the national finals last year, but the experience did them a lot of good. “I think that stage fright got the better of them,” Mpati said. “That’s one thing that a coach cannot prevent. A team can train and play 50 games to prepare for a tournament, but that still does not guarantee that they will not get nervous.

“That’s what happened last year. We got nervous and lost all our day 1 games. We bounced back and finally drew 0-0 against Holy Trinity, the other Gauteng team in the finals.  They went on to win the tournament and the R1 million to go with it.”

Pinetown school takes a step closer to winning the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Umqhele Secondary School of Clermont are the Pinetown District winners of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup soccer competition and are looking to repeat the feats of the school’s 2011 team that won KwaZulu-Natal provincial title.

It has not been easy says assistant coach and team manager, Phenduka Mkhwanazi. “All games we played were extremely challenging,” he said. “We are based in a small area and play against the same schools every year so we all know each other’s weaknesses and their strengths.  But we won all five scheduled games so we are on track and will hopefully reach our goal, which is to win the KZN provincial finals.”

The team has been on an extensive training programme for the entire year, Mkhwanazi said as they need to be physically fit and are able to keep up with the other teams’ performance levels. Further, he has also introduced regular team talks.  “I am a firm believer in having team talks as this is where the players can share their thoughts and visions. We have team talks before and after every game to strategise and then to recap.”

The team has been impressive in scoring goals so far. “The most impressive game was when we beat Buhlebemfundo Secondary 7-0 which is our highest score to date in this tournament.”

Umqhele is boosted by three players that are affiliated to the Amazulu FC youth development team (Durban Warriors).  Striker, Linda Bhengu and was part of the SA under-20 national team that played against Ethiopia earlier this year.

Mkhwanazi said he is going to be a key player, going forward, as are defender Zanyiso Zungu and striker Phiwayinkosi Lukhele, the other players who are with Amazulu.

Mkhwanazi is also the football development officer in Clermont, and has been involved in soccer for a number of years. He says his main aim is to help talented soccer players from KZN reach the professional level and play for PSL teams.

The Umqhele team is coached by Sthembiso Ntuli who is not a teacher at the school. He has a level 1 qualification, and has been coaching for many years. “He has the skills to take the team to great heights,” Mkhwanazi said.

Mkhwanazi thinks it’s great to have the academy schools on board as they bring a new element to the tournament and the boys can learn a thing or two from them. “We try to run our team like an academy, our players live in the school boarding facilities, so they are together all the time, they are a unified team and work  very well together. We try our best to make sure that they get matching tracksuits and soccer boots, the school does a lot of fund raising to support them.”

There is R100 000 up for grabs for the provincial winners in the competition and, should Umqhele win it, the school will repair the classrooms that have broken windows and doors, they would like to add mobile classes as they are getting more and more students every year. “The school also needs a Mini Taxi that will be used to transport players to and from games, transportation is one of the problems that we have at the school,” he said. “We would also use some of the money to assist with the day to day running of the boarding facility.”

Ends.

About the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup:

·           The tournament is run under the auspices of the South Africa Football Association (SASFA)

   Named after prominent businessman Patrice Motsepe’s late mother, the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup offers the biggest prize money at school level in Africa (R3.4 million in total). 

·           The sponsors are:  Sanlam, the Motsepe Foundation and the Sanlam Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust.

·           The primary objective of the tournament is to revive the culture of school football amongst students between the age of 16 and 19 years old.

·           The tournament also gives players the opportunity to showcase their skills to soccer scouts with the talented players being recruited into development structures to be nurtured and shaped into professional players.

10th Edition of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup to be launched

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This year marks the 10^TH anniversary of the under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup and it is to be launched in style on Saturday, 29 April, with reigning champions, Clapham High School taking on 2012 champions the School of Excellence, both from Gauteng, in an exhibition match at Loftus Stadium’ at 6pm.

 The game will precede the Pretoria derby between Sundowns and Supersport United, kick off for that game is 8.15pm. To make the day a memorable one, Sundowns has further offered the first 500 fans, dressed in Sundowns colours that arrive to watch the curtain raiser a free ticket to the later game.  Gates open at 4pm.

The tournament is co-funded by Sanlam, the Motsepe Foundation and the Sanlam Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust and managed by the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) and the Department of Basic Education.

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup plays an invaluable role in the development of football in South Africa, providing organised, competitive competition for the schools involved. It also, through its prize money, makes a major contribution to community development.

This year, R3,4 million will be paid out to schools, with the proviso that they use the money to fund educational and community projects in their areas that will benefit the wider community on a long term basis.

The prize money increased dramatically five years ago and in that time over R13.6 million has been utilised in this way by the winning teams and this year the winning school at the national finals tournament will walk away with R1 million. The second, third and fourth placed schools will receive R600 000, R500 000 and        R400 000 respectively. The nine provincial winners will each receive R100 000 for their efforts.

The highlight of the 10^th anniversary of the tournament is likely to be the on-going rivalry between Clapham High School, the current champions, the School of Excellence and the most successful team in the history of the tournament, Harmony High School from Virginia in the Free State.

The Mamelodi Sundowns Development Academy players are schooled at Clapham, while The School of Excellence is a sports academy that has supplied many players to PSL, First division as well as second and third division clubs over the years.

Mamelodi Sundown’s Percy Tau was part of the Clapham team in 2013 and was named the player of the tournament. He has scored 2 goals for Sundowns this year.

  

The tournament is named in memory of Kay Motsepe, the mother of prominent businessman Patrice Motsepe. The aim of the tournament is to contribute to the development of South African soccer and to nurture future soccer stars. It strives to unite the country’s youth through the shared love of the game and to promote football excellence.

Sanlam’s sponsorship manager Frank Louw says the company understands the value of development and the opportunity it gives youngsters to achieve what they hope for. “We believe that the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup creates opportunities that have a positive impact on the youth, and that the tournament provides exposure to professional scouts for talented players,” he said.  “Importantly, it also contributes to enhanced learning through improved educational facilities for the benefit of the rest of the pupils in the participating schools and for the benefit of the broader community.”

Kenneth Makhanya, a representative of the Motsepe Foundation and Ubuntu Botho Trusts, said the Motsepe Foundation endorses the objectives and rationale behind the sponsorship. “Our president, Mr Patrice Motsepe, initiated the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Cup in memory of his mother and to recognize the integral role she played in his life – encouraging him through school, then university and helping him through the dark times as well. This is what we want for the South African youth. Sanlam share that vision and it has created an ideal partnership.”

The tournament is organised by the South African Schools Football Association (Safsa). Their president, Mandla Mazibuko, said they are very grateful to Sanlam and Mr. Motsepe for their generosity. “Through this tournament we are able to educate learners through the medium of sport, and to ensure the future of the game,” he said.